The Forestry Forum

I am going to be installing some ERC porch railing on a deck. What is the best way to treat them to keep the sap wood from eventually rotting. I am cutting the poles today and will put them in the kiln until the bark comes loose and power wash them. I will be using the Lumberjack tenon cutter on the ends. Thinking about boring the bottom holes all the way through on the horizontal rail so water will drain and hopefully dry out. Any ideas?

There is little you can do, as borates will not last in an exterior exposure, and non-pressure treatments will not go very deep. A water-proof coating may help slightly.